Pneumatic vehicle wheel



Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES HARRY N. ATWOOD, OF MONSON,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR'TO RUBWOOD, INC., OF

LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PNEUMATIC VEHICLE WHEEL.

Application filed August 23, 1923, Serial No. 658,946. Renewed February 11, 1925.

To a-ZZ whom t 07mg/ concern.'

Be it known thatrl, HARRY'N. Arwoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monson, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic VehicleWVheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in 1`0 vehicle Wheel bodies.

The ordinary types; of vehicle wheel bodies are of rigid structure and, possessing substantially no resiliency, transmit the shocks and vibrations incident to travel over road surfaces, to the runnin'gicfear and other parts of the vehicle. Furthermore, such wheel' bodies are cumbersome in construetion and heavy in weight and, beca-usc of the centrifugal and gyroseopic forces set up when traveling at high speed, materially interfere with ready steering of the vehicle. Furthermore, a vehicle wheel body of the ordinary type requires to be equipped with a metallic rim for the purpose of seating the tire, and means must be provided for securing this rim in place. Such wheels are therefore expensive to 'manufacture and equip, and the rim equipment adds materially to the Weight of the wheel. In consideration of the foregoing it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a combined wheel body and rim constituting an inte al Whole and of composite structure, an to form the entire wheel of materials possessing-such qualities and united and arranged v in such a manner as to overcome the disadvantages presented by the ordinary wheel bodies.

Another important object of theinvention is to'provide a Wheel body which will be resilient and therefore shock-absorbing and i in which the tire seating rim will constitute an integral part with the body of the wheel so that the necessity for equipping the body with the usual metal rim and associated parts isivholly obviated and the structure is rendered lighter and the cost of production is materially reduced.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the rim portion of the wheel that there will be less likelihood of rim cutting of the tire casing in the event of deflation `of the tire.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the rim portion of the wheel body -Wardly defiected types of y ripheral that it will resiliently and yieldably seat the tire casing thereby enhancing the cushioning qualities of the tire and wheel.

In the accompanying drawings:`

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a wheel constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 isa similar View illustrating a slight modication. i

The body of the wheelv is indicated in general by the numeral l and the tire casing seating rim bythe numeral 2. The body 1 is preferably' made up of two sections indicatedby the numeral 3 and each in turn comprisinga plurality of plies clef veneer or other suitable body material and bonding plies 5 or rubber, rubberized fabric, or similar material. 'In preparing .each section 3, therequired number of body and bonding plies are assembled, the plies being alternat ed. Either prior to or after'assemblage, the

body plies tare given the iorin shown in the drawings, the outer peripheral-portions of the plies being curved or dished in an outward direction as indicated -by the numeral 6 and thence turned nwardlyneartheir inargin's :1s-indicated by the numeral 7, the outportionsconstituting sustaining shoulders, and the intui'ned portions 7 constituting clineher anges for enga-ge ment with the beads of the ordinary tire casing which is shown in a, general way in the drawings and indicated by the reference letter C. A facing ply 8 of rubberized fabric or any other material found suitable for the purpose is applied over' the outer and inner faces-of each of the sections 3 and extends likewise over the edge of the inturned Je`- i portion 7 of the section, this e ge being 'preferably transversely rounded as indicated by the numeral 9. The two sections 3 are then assembled face to face with their mid portions in contact, and a cushioning filling 10 of soft rubber is applied within the .circumferential channel defined bythe opposing faces of the outwardly defiected portions 6 of the two sections, the filling being so applied that it will constitute a seat for a tire casing, the beads of which are engaged by the inturned portions 7 of the sections 3.

After the wheel sections 3 have been placed together in the manner stated and the filling l0 has been applied, the entire structure may be subjected to a process of ruleanizaticn so as to cure the rubber constitulll) ents thereof and effect an intimate and integral bonding of all of the constituent parts. lf desired bolts ll may be secured through the shoulder portions G of the body sections to positively insure against any relative spreading of these port ions and the inturned clincher portions 7.

rl`hc form of the invention shown in Figure il of the drawings is identical with that shown in Figure l` except that the filling corresponding to the filling l() and indicated bythe numeral lQAis preferably molded in two halves which are provided in their opposing faces with matching annular grooves 1S. which, when the parts are assembled, deliue an annular air chamber indicated by the numeral il.

From the foregoing description of the iuvention it will be evident that in bothenibodiments and iuany embodiment falling within the scope of the appended claims, the Wheel body possesses resiliency throughout all of its portions, and as a Whole has shock-absorbing qualitieswhich are absent in Wheel bodies of ordinary construction. Thus While the mid portion of the body of the Wheel is sufficiently stable to sustain the Weight ofthe vehicle Without any distortion, it is at the saine time sufficiently resilient and ,yieldable to enable it to absorb the shocks, vibrations, and impacts to which the Wheel will be subjected in use so that these forces, by the time they are transmitted to the running gear of the vehicle,

are greatly diminished. The Wheel is adapted for the application thereto of any standard tire casing, and the casing will be more firmly and securely seated than Where a metal rim is employed as in the ordinary structures. Furthermore, the filling of soft rubbenconstitutes a backing or yieldable and resilient foundation for the tire casing so that the cushioning qualities of the Wheel are materially enhanced. Also by rounding the edges'Q of the inturned portions 7 of the body sections, cutting ofthe tire casing and inner tube, inthe event of deflation,

is effectually prevented, or at least the likelihood of this damage to the casing and tube is greatly minimized.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A vehicle Wheel comprisinga body and a tire seating rim constituting an integral structure and made up of plies lof resilient body material and plies of intervening bonding material, and a seating cushion for the tire extending circumferentially of the struc-` ture Within the rim.

2. A vehicle Wheel comprising a body and a tire seating rim constituting an integral structure of resilient material, andv a seating cushion Within the rim extending circumferentially of the structure.

3. A vehicle Wheel comprising a body and inerme a tirev seating rim constituting an integral structure of resilient material, and a seating cushion Within the rim extending circumferentially of the structure and'integrally bonded thereto.

4. A vehicle wheel comprising a body and tire seating rim constituting an integral structure and made Aup of plies of veneer and intervening bonding plies of rubber material, and a cushion of soft rubber extending circumferentially within the rim and `constituting a yieldable sustaining means for a tire seated in the rim.

5. A vehicle Wheel comprising a body and tire Vseating rim constituting an integral structure and made up of sections each cont prising a plurality of resilient body plies and intervening bonding plies, the peripheral portions of the sections being dished to extend apart and deiine the side' Walls of the rim9 and a cushion of Soft rubber Within the channel of the rim extending 'circumferentially of the structure and constituting a yieldable cushioning seat. for a tire mounted in the channel of the rim.

6. A vehicle Wheel comprising a body and tire seating rim constituting an integral structure and made up of sections each com- A prising a plurality of resilient body plies and intervening bonding plies, the peripheral portions of the extend apart and define the side Walls of the rim, and a cushion of soft rubber within the channel of the rim extending circumferentially of the structure and constituting a yieldable cushioning seat for a tire mount ed in the channel of the rim, the peripheral portions of the sections having their margins turned inwardly toward each other to provide clincher flanges.

7 A vehicle Wheel comprising a body and tire seating rim constituting an integral structure and made vup of sections each comprising a plurality of resilient body plies and intervening bonding plies, the peripheral portions of the sections being dished to extend apart and define the side Walls of the rim, and a cushion of soft rubber Within the channel of the rim'extending circumferentially of the structure and constituting a'yieldable cushioning seat for a tire mounty ed in the channel of the rim, the peripheral portions of the sections having their margins turned inwardly toward each other to provide chncher flanges and being transversely` rounded.

8. A vehicle vvheel comprising a body and tire seating rim constituting :rn-integral structure and made up of sections each comprising a plurality of resilient body'plies andint'ervening bonding plies, theperiph eral portions of the sections being dished to 'extend apart and deline the side walls of the rim, a cushion of soft rubber Within the channelof the rnn extending circumferensections being dished to 10 flanges.

ed in the channel of the rim, the peripheral portions of the sections-having their mar-- gins turned inwardly toward each other toprovide clinoher flanges and being transversely rounded, and e faing of rubber ma' terial extending over the outer surfaces' of the seotlons and over the sald ,ollncher 9. A vehicle wheel comprising a body and fa tire mounta tire seatingrim constituting an integral structure and made up of plies of resilient .body material und plies of intervening bond,-4 ng material, and a cushion of soft rubber extending eircumferentially about the strueture Within the channel `of the' rim and having an annular air chamber, the said onshion constituting a. sustaining means for a tire mounted in the channel of the rim.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

HARRY N. IATVVOD. [L.s.] 

